What you want is not what you get
The sea murmured softly as it always did in this part west of the main hub of the city. People were more scarce here as it was an area dominated by small manors and hunting lodge which all came with - to the average citizen at least – ungodly amount of property. Sitting on a small cliff and watching the sun set, Arin however was grateful for the vastness of the land. People bothered him, would always bother him after the incident. He felt bad for his failures, bad for his being unable to visit his sister Nira, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to enter the city and for a mercy Kirek didn’t force him to. His partner sometimes forced him to do things, but those were vital, like when he had forgotten time again and missed out on more than one meal. Or when he refused to go even as far as their garden and rather wanted to stay in bed and wallow in self-pity. Those were the bad days. Sometimes they came in heaps. Sometimes they didn’t.
However today was a good day. He had taken a walk on the beach and marveled how white the sand was. Sadly he hadn’t found any sea shells, but he would try again tomorrow. Kirek always was happy when he found a new one and as the angel was the one who brought home the money, Arin knew far more about shells and other small things. When the sun had set, the young man slowly rose and tightened the sash around his trousers again before he began following the way back. He passed through the grassy dunes as a shimmer caught his eye. Excited for he thought it to be a sea shell or a very polished stone, Arin turned towards the item. No shell and no stone greeted his eye. Instead he found an abandoned egg with a very glossy shine to its shell. Arin made sure that this egg truly was abandoned and not put in this place to hatch later on. Despite the warmth of the sand it nested in, the egg felt cold and thus the young man took off his shirt and wrapped it around the small orb, carefully lifting it up and taking the egg home with him.
Before even eating dinner with his partner, Arin saw to it, that the egg was safely confined in a new nest consisting of blankets and scarves and generally anything he could find that could hold the warmth. Kirek smiled fondly and let him work lest he disturbed Arins process of thought. The sylph needed his own order and couldn’t stand when someone or something tinkered with his schedule. “So, will you tell me what you’ve found?” , he asked when the other had finished the nest and was sitting down at the table. Eagerly Arin nodded. “I don’t know yet. It’s an egg and very very shiny. Found it in the dunes, seems like it wasn’t well hidden or its mother did a bad job of caring for it.” His eyes took on a sad note. Feeling that this was troubling his lover Kirek reached out to lay one of his hands over those of Arin. “The egg has you now, doesn’t it? So don’t worry. I’m sure it will be well.” Tentatively a smile spread on the other mans lips. “Yeah… It has me now.”
And so the days went by. Everyday Kirek went to his work in the city and Arin busied himself with the garden, house and most of all the egg. He spoke to it and warmed it to his best ability but it took weeks until the scale became even glossier and there was movement. Finally a few days later the scale cracked under the watchful eye of the sylph who had spent all his time with his little charge as the hatching day drew near. In his mind he already had plenty of ideas how he was going to raise the little turtle, he was very sure it was a turtle.
However no turtle snout was breaking through the egg shell, but a small beak. A small rosy beak sharp like that of a bird of prey. Puzzled Arin watched the hatchling progress through breaking its prison. Finally the creature was free and began cleaning its feathers and… fur? Arin was shocked. He beheld a being like he had never seen, a mixture of eagle and lion. Smoky colored spare for the amber eyes and the small beak, it was nothing he could name. The feathers were some pitches lighter than the fur, which was almost black. The newborn hybrid had finished grooming and was now looking around, mewling hungry and toddling towards the Sylph. He was mother! And mother had to give food! Arin had a different thought on the matter. What on earth did such creatures eat? Well… it looked like a carnivore of some sorts, so he retreated into the kitchen, where some fish and meat was stored. The young gryphon, for that was what it was, waddled behind, mewling and not willing to let go of its mother. Meanwhile the sylph had found a good sized fish and began chopping it up, throwing the small pieces into the open beak of his little ward.
When Kirek came home he found his lover sound asleep on the bed, with a tiny ball of furs and feathers nestled in the curve of his arms. Smiling he shook his head. “Oh well… this will surely bring way more life in our days…” He only hoped Arin would learn to deal with their newest family member soon, as Faeran would surely drop by as soon as word reached him that there was a gryphon born to them.
